Transfer



March 1.8, 1941. B, F, BRQwN 2,235,514

` TRANSFER Filed ost. v. 193e THE/Mo -PL A57/c MM5/VE fm2 ffLLULoJ(aP/4905) lfatented Mar. 18, 1941 i lU:sufrenv STATES eATENT OFFICE:l'luiirsr'intV I 'I Y l 4 Benjamin F. Brown, Chicago, Ill.

-' Application Olfbtl' 7, 1938, SllfNO. 233,886

'l Claims. (Cl. 41-33) .to the surfaces ofany desired objects, asfurni-v ture of wood or metal, walls, wall-boards,plaster boards, metalplates, woodpanels or any other surface. f

It is also an object of the -a transfer adapted for applying a design totexl tues, fabrics, ce11u1ose sheets, leather, artificial leather or anyother rigid or flexible material whose surfaces are not aected by 'theheat employed during the application ofthe transfer. Another object ofthe invention is to provide 2 a transfer ofthe above named characterwhich eliminates the necessity of soaking the carrier sheet or backingpaper in water for-removing the same from vthe printed or painted'design which `is to be applied to the desired surface.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a transfer in which theilm to .be transferred 5 comprises a plurality of coatings, eachperforming a certain purpose, and applying the nlm in such manner to thedesired surface that during the application the various eeetings wmblend into each other, whereby a sharp delineation of thedesignparticularly in the case of wood pattern vwill be avoided, with theresult that the design will/appear very natural, without any trace ofany` screen dots, as in the case when the various coatings have beenapplied by the silk screen process, or lithographie or photo engraving.process. y

Another object of the inventiony is to provide a transfer which isapplied to the `desired surface solely by theapplication ofsteam,heatand pressure.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a transfer having acarrier sheet .or hacking` 45, sheet, which during the application ofthe transfer' to the desired surface by means of steam,

heat and pressure may be removed from thejiilm transfer made inaccordance with the invention invention to provide4 is readily adaptedto reproduce inexpensively any desired gure or pattern vof matchedpaneling designs, without resorting tothe heretofore employed expensivephotographic plate reproduction.

Other objects of the advantages ofthe invention will be apparent or willbe pointed out in the following description forming a part of thisspecification.

The drawing illustrates by way of example a preferred embodiment of thetransfer of the present'invention and its application.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a transfer of the present invention, withportions ofthe upper coatings 15.

removed to illustrate the underlying coats.

Fig. 2 is an .enlarged cross-sectional view of the transfer on the line2-2 of the Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 illustrates the application of a transfer to the top surface ofthe table.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates the carrier sheet of the transferand may consist of transparent rosin sized paper of suitable weight,depending mostly upon thev size of the transfer. A' 22 lb. paper hasgiven good results. To this carrier sheet vI- is applied a coat '2 of awatersoluble adhesive, preferably a remoisten'ing retarded glueadhesive, either by the silk screen process or asroller coating machine.Such an adhesive may be composed of hide glue, plasticized withsulphonated castor oil andreduced with suitable solvents as alcohol,toluol and water. It is advisable notto cover the entire area of thesheet I, but to leave a small margin la free of adhesive on all sides ofthe sheet l as this will facilitate the handling of the sheet when stillwet. v y

. After the water soluble coat 2 has dried, a coat 3 of clear ethylcellulose solution is applied on the coat 2 bythe silk screen process.The solution consisting of ethyl cellulose dissolved in a suitablesolvent as i. e. solvent naphtha and plasticized with castor oil,di-butyl phthalate or butyl lactate may be transparentlytinted with anorange anlllne dye, which relieves the flatness of the design and givesdepth to the appearance ofthe transferredf design. 'Ihe coat 3 ispermitted to dry and then a coat l carrying the desired detail design of'the wood, pattern or the like is applied to the same by the screenprocess.r 50 'I'he coat 4 may consist of an ethyl cellulose so` lutionthe same as coat 3, butr pigmented with the desired color, or a colorvarnish, to `which a blending agent is added in dry form. The blendingagent, which later is melted by the heat 55 applied when transferringthe transfer to the desired surface, may consist of a gum having a lowmelting point, such as damar in powder form. If desired, the meltingpoint ofv this gum may be lowered by adding stearic acid thereto.

In order to enhance the natural appearance of a Wood pattern, anintermediate coat or print may be applied to the coat 3 prior to coat 4.The intermediate coat or print produces the pores of the wood and shouldbe dark in color and of non-bleeding character and represents the woodfiller used in filling the pores before staining. Such an intermediatecoat will bring out the wood grain pattern in finished wood.

If it is desired to increase the diffusion a small amount of aniline dyeof similar shade, as oilsoluble brown, may be added to coat 4. Thesolvents in the succeeding coat 5 will cause these to bleed or spreadinto coat 5.

After the coat 4 has dried a coat 5 forming the contrasting coloredopaque base coat of the pattern is applied. This base coat may consistof an ethyl cellulose solution applied by the silk screen process or a-spray gun, but it--may also consist of a paint.

Finally, a coat 5 is applied to the dried fifth coat. The coat 6consists of thermo-plastic adhesive applied by the silk screen processor a spray gun. A coat of clear ethyl cellulose solution or ten poundsof a dry orange shellac dissolved in one gallon of alcohol forms asuitable thermo-plastic adhesive which may be used.

The transfer consisting of a carrier sheet or backing paper and a nlm'composed of plurality of ethyl cellulose material or paint coats is nowready to be applied to the desired surface.

While the above described method of producing and composition of thetransfer constitutes the preferred embodiment of my invention, veryfavorable results are also obtainable at less expense by eliminating-thecoat 3 o fclear ethyl cellulose material. It is also possible tosubstitute the base coat 5 and the coat 6 of the thermo-plastic adhesiveby a single coat as the ethyl cellulose coat 5 is in itself thermh;.

If the transfer is to be applied to clothv be readily controlled by theamounts of blending agent and aniline dye respectively added to thesubstances forming the respective coats. A

Referring to Fig; 3, the 'transfer of the pattern or design formed bythe coats 3, 4, 5 or 4, 5

and 6 respectively, is effected by placing the transfer with thethermo-plastic adhesive coat facing Adownwardly on the surface 3 to bedecorated, which in the present instance is the top surface of a table9. Before applying the transfer to the desired surface it is advisableand evenv necessary on all wood surfacesto provide the latter vwith asealer coat, as clear lacquer or the like.

After having placed the transfer on the surface 8, the backing sheet. i,of course, will form the top layer.' In order to fix the transfer inposition a moderately hot fiatiron lmay be applied a few seconds to oneedge or a few spots of the backing sheet, to tack the transfer inposition. Then a steaming iron I0 is passed over the entire area of thetransfer for pressing the latter uniformly against the surface 8. As thesteam from the iron penetrates the backing sheet l it softens andmoistens the water-soluble adhesive coat 2, so that the sheet I can bepeeled off from the transferred film carrying the pattern as soon as theiron has left the softened area of the coat 2. At the same time the heatof the iron melts the blending agent in the coat 4 and also vsoftens thethermo-plastic adhesive coat 6 and together with the pressure of theiron causes a strong permanent adhesion of the transfer filmto thesurface 3. As the detail design coat 4 softens or melts its blends intothe base coat 5 producing a soft diffusion of color and eliminates anysharp demarcation of contrasting colors. Distinct screen dots whichusually are' a feature of thesilk screen process or printing Ifromhalftone plates, are

notrequiredito givecgifaduatin of color.

After the removal of the backing sheet l the excess remoisteningadhesive still on the top face of the transferred film is Washed oi witha sponge and warm water. Then the transferred film is permitted to cooland dry, whereupon a coat of lacquer or finishing varnish" mayy beapplied.

It is believed obvious that the application .of the transfer is notlimited to plane surfaces, but that the transfer may also be applied toround columns, .to so called waterfall fronts on furni. ture and to anyother curved or angular surfaces.

In place cf a steaming iron, a steaming roller may be used to advantagewhen large areas are Y to be covered bya transfer. c -"Thebacking sheetof the transfer may also serve'jafs'a; tective coat for the l.transferiilm whenthe-sam asbeen appliedto the desired .surfae. a case thelbacking sheet is net @removed during the time the transfer is`pei'x`nanently attached to the ,desired surface by heat and pressure,but remains thereon until such time the transfer film is no longersubjected to possible injury, for instance after the piece of furniturehas been completely assembled,

"whereupon an application ofsteam is used to 'the transferred iilinfinished as already described.

If the transfers are to be applied'to a transparent plate or sheet, suchas Celluloid, andare to be visionedvthroughthe transparent member, theorder of the coats 3, 4 and 5 has to be reserved, in order to' make whatis known as a face-upl transfer. In such an instance, the coat 2, aremoistening adhesive, is applied as formerly to the backing sheet I,and when dry the base coat 5 comes next, then coat l and finally coat 3made of a clear ethyl cellulose solution, which is thermo-plastic. 'Coatt can be omitted. Lettering, if any,=,would be made in reverse, orreading from right to left, so'as to appear uprightand readable fromleftto right when viewed through thev transparent plate or sheet.

What I claim is: c

l. .Asv a An'ewarticle of manufacture, a transfer comprising atransparent rosin sized `carrier paper coated on one side with a'Water-soluble adterial on said coat of water soluble adhesive, anon-water soluble coat forming a colored design on said coat of .ethylcellulose material, a nonwater soluble coat forming the base for saidcolored design on the coat forming the latter, and a thermo-plasticadhesive coat on the coat forming the base color of the design.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a transparentrosin sized carrier paper coating on one side with a water-solubleadhesive, a coat of transparent ethyl cellulose material on said coat ofwater-soluble adhesive, a nonwater soluble coat forming a colored designon said coat of ethyl cellulose material, and containing a blendingagent in solid form, a vnon-water soluble coat forming the base for saidcolored design on the coat forming the latter, and a thermo-plasticadhesive coat on the coat forming the base color of the design.

3. A new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a rosin sizedcarrier paper coated on one side with a water soluble adhesiveconsisting of hide glue, a transparent non-water soluble coat on saidcoat of water soluble adhesive, a non-water soluble coat forming acolored design on said transparent non-water soluble coat, a non-watersoluble coat forming a colored base for said colored design on the coatforming the latter, and a thermo-plastic adhesive coat on the coatforming the base color of said design.

4. A new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a rosin sizedcarrier paper coated on one side with a water soluble adhesive, atransparent non-water soluble coat on said coat of fwater solubleadhesive, a coat of coloredethyl cellulose material forming a design onsaid transparent non-water soluble coat, a non-water soluble coatforming a colored base for said colored. design on the coat forming thelatter, and a thermo-plastic adhesive coat on the coat forming the basecolor of said design.

5'. As a new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a rosin sizedcarrier paper coated on one side with a water soluble adhesiveconsisting of hide glue, a transparent non-water soluble coat on saidcoat of water soluble adhesive, a coat of paint forming a colored designon said transparent non-Water soluble coat, a non-water soluble coatforming a colored base for said colored design on the coat forming thelatter, `and a thermo-plastic adhesive coat on the coat forming thebasecolor of said design.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a transparentrosin sized carrier paper coated on one side with a. water-solubleadhesive, a coat of transparent ethyl cellulose material on said coat ofwater-soluble adhesive, said transparent ethyl cellulose coat: beingtinted with an aniline dye, a non-water soluble coat forming a coloreddesign on said coat of ethyl cellulose material, a non-water solublecoat forming the `base for said colored design on the coat forming thelatter, and a thermo-plastic adhesive coat on the coat forming the basecolor of the design.

7. As a new article of manufacture, a transfer comprising a transparentrosin sized carrier paper coated on one side with a water-solubleadhesive, a coat of transparent ethyl cellulose material on said coatoi' water-soluble adhesive, said transparent ethyl cellulose coat beingtinted with an aniline dye, a non-water soluble coat forming a coloreddesign on said coat of ethyl cellulose material, and containingablending agent in solid form, a non-water soluble coat forming the basefor said colored design on the coat forming the latter, and athermo-plastic adhesive coat on the coat forming the base color of thedesign.

BENJAMIN F. BROWN.

